The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-20

had to do with it. Mr. Morton replied that the
civil-service committee had made certain charges
which he proposed to suostantiate. and could do
it within six days, if two sessions per day were
allowed.
The investigation then began by Mr. Morton
showing by the record of the board meetings
that Mr. Gapen had only attended two meetings
of the board during 1886. He also showed by the
records that with but few exceptions for period
of two years John E. Sullivan had been awarded
nearly all contracts for furnishing provisions
The first witness was Mrs. A. c. Agler, No. 90
North Alabama street She said che had visited
the hospital last June in company with some
other ladies. AS they got off the street car she
saw an insane lady attempt to get into ham,
mock in the yard. AS she did SO, two ladies,
who, from their dress she took to be attendants,
slapped and forciby pushed her several times.
She spoke to DR.. Fletcher of the occurrence
Mr.. Morton read from the record the protest
of Dr. Tarleton, one of the directors. against the
reappointmeut of Mr. Hall as book keeper In
his protest the Doctor said that he opposed the
appointment in every way that he knew how,
for the reason that he did not keep the books
but had others to Go 1t for him who were paid
for the work. He voted to no longer retain him,
but Harrison and Gapen voted to keep him.
James Orrall, of Mount Jackson, testified that
he was an attendant eight months and hostler
for one year. He had seen bad prunes on the
table, and did not think the dried apples very
good.
Questionable you report them?
Answer-our reports were blanks and to be
signed satisfactory, unsatisfactory. l always
signed it satisfactory because 1 knew 1 would not
remain in the institution if l made complaints
in winter the inmates were detailed to do
work out of doors at times. The one fair meal
they had, he thought. was hardly sufficient to
sustain them properly. For breakfast, they had
bread, occasionally bad. and sometimes butter
coffee, without cream or milk, and a dish made
from the scraps of meat left from previous
meals. He never saw a trustee in his ward dur
ing the eight months he was there. AS hostler,
he found the corn, oats and bran damaged.
The corn was furnished by DR.. Harrison
Q-What per cent. of the corn rottenl
A.-Fully 75per cent, should think.
Q.-What did you do with the rotton corn9
Al sorted it out, and put the rotten in the
swill trough for the hogs.
He also testified in relation to cholera hogs.
and said be had seen as many as five hogs ~
ing dead in a drove of fifty that were being
dressed for the table. Dr. Navin said they
died of cholera. He also testified to having
| seen dried peaches and apples in the storehouse
that were wormy, and the prunes he judged
| from the appearance were not good. He testi-
fled that the attendants were generally rough in
their treatment of patients. He had seen many
of them drunk and had seen the superintendent
intoxicated.
The first witness examined in the afternoon
was Mrs. Sarah Stockton, the physician of
wards l. 2 3. 4, 8, and Is in the female depart
mont She reiterated her testimony before the
House committee regarding the maeeoty butter
| and the general condition of the food furnished
| her patients, to which she strenuously objected
| She told the story of the escape of Mrs. Eliza
| Dallas in September, 1884, who has not since
| been heard from Her escape was the result of
negligence on the part of the attendants.
DR.. w. B. Fletcher was called, but his testi-
| mony was postponed Chairman French stating
that the trustees desired to be present with
| their counsel wien the superintendent gave his
| testimony The time for hearing it was set for
| Monday morning
| Mr.. Albert Thayer was then called His tes-
| timony was substantially the same as that given
| before the House committee. The witness
stated that he had once missed parts Of his
clothing and that the attendants had forced him
to wear kind of clothing known as "pauper'
| clothing He never recovered his own. Other
| patients we'll as he had suffered likewise.
Senator Bailey said: II would like to offer a
resolution in the Senate. if it be in accordance
! with the approval of the committee, that an ex-
| pert accountant be employed to examine the
| books, and discover if any errors in their keep
| ing have been made"
| TO this Mr.. Huston objected stating that no
charge had been made in regard to the keeping
| Of the books; but he thought that if a couple OF
| the committee would examine the books they
| could judge for themselves.
| Mr.. Bailey then stated that he was content to
have the matter laid over until the Monday SEES
| sion of the committee.
Miss Mary A. Shannon then testified that
| when she was attendant in the third ward
she once discovered butter served at breakfast
| in which were worms. She said that she did not
think that the food was cooked in a manner to
| render it wholesome; tfat cold meats which had
been left over from preceding meals had been
| stewed and served again day or more after
| wards She said that the meat served, when
fresh, was not always good but in some cases
was unwholesome
Miss Mary Beck was then called, and testified
that in last September and October she had seen
butter in which there were maggots. She re-
ported this to the ward physician, and since that
time she had seen Zone but good butter. The
butter during July. August and September, she
said, was exceptionally bad She also said that
the coffee was, at times, very bad, and at other
times was burnt. She did not think that the
food was properly prepared.
Mary Ba7klay and Mary Greer, also attend
ants, testified substantially the same as the two
preceding witnesses, after which the committee
adjourned to meet at IL o'clock Monday morn
ing when the testimony of DR.. Fletcher, Charles
G. Roth and others will be heard